Commemorate ANZAC Day at Lantern Club

ANZAC Day in 2015

This year marks the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, and as such commemorations are predicted to be larger than ever before. The largest 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day commemoration outside of Australia will be held at Gallipoli, and is expected to see over 10,500 people in attendance. Due to overwhelming demand, a special three-part ballot was conducted to ensure everyone had equal chance of securing tickets. In the end 8,120 Australians and 2,030 New Zealanders were issued tickets, plus another 350 tickets were made available for official representatives of the countries involved. For those who were unlucky in the ballot, but still wish to participate in ANZAC Day services in Turkey, there will be services at other locations or at different times in Gallipoli.

A Day breakfast at Lantern Club

Lantern Club will be open for breakfast on ANZAC Day, Saturday 25 April from 9:30am, providing for the large numbers attending the dawn services being held nearby. Places fill up quickly and we are frequently booked out on the day. With the added significance of this centenary memorial event, we suggest you book in right away to secure places for yourself, friends and family to have a quiet breakfast after the morning’s ceremony. At 11am we will be holding a 30-minute Anzac Day ceremony, hosted by Graham Clayton of the Roselands Flames Bowling Club and with Brian Robson, Mayor of Canterbury, also present. The ceremony will take place outside the Community Room. We look forward to sharing this memorial with you and any other members or guests at the Club.
ANZAC Day in Australia is always a special occasion as we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. This year will be even more special as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day, with services and attendances expected to be at record levels. On April 25, 1915, the combined Australian and New Zealand forces stormed the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey, marking Australia’s first major war involvement since becoming an independent nation. Those involved became known as the ANZACs, and the soldiers took great pride in this name they’d been given.

Why is ANZAC Day so important to Australians?

The Ottoman Empire was an ally of Germany during the First World War, and on the morning of April 25, 1915, the Anzacs were deployed to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula. Success would open the Dardanelles for allied navies to advance on the capital Constantinople (now Istanbul). The landing didn’t quite go to plan, and the Anzacs were met by heavy Turkish resistance. What was supposed to be a relatively quick operation lasted eight long months, and approximately 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. By the end of 1915, with both sides having suffered heavy losses, the Anzacs were evacuated. Despite the ultimate failure of the landing and occupation of Gallipoli, the courage of the Anzacs had a profound effect on the way Australia and New Zealand was viewed by the rest of the world. The powerful legacy lives on to this day because of the original Anzacs.
The events of this battle had a monumental effect on the citizens back in Australia, and the date of the initial landing became a day of remembrance for those who had died in the war. Today, it’s a day to remember those who have died in every war since, and reflect on why those sacrifices were made.

Where did the word ‘ANZAC’ originate?

Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and was developed in Cairo in 1915 by the staff of Major General William Birdwood. After landing at Gallipolli, Major General Birdwood used the acronym to distinguish the corps from the British who had landed at Helles. Following the landing, the small bay where the Australians and New Zealanders had landed was named ‘Anzac Cove’, thus the military acronym was now being used as a word in common language.

What happens on ANZAC Day?

At the same time as the original landing on the beaches of Gallipoli, dawn commemorative services are held around Australia. Later in the day current and ex-servicemen and women, and the relatives of those who never returned from military duties, take part in marches in cities and towns around Australia. Hymns, prayers, important speeches, the laying of wreaths, the recitation, the Last Post, a minute’s silence, the Rouse or the Reveille, and the National Anthem are all elements that are part of an Anzac Day ceremony. Red poppies are often seen on memorial rolls of honour, placed there by the relatives of soldiers who died in combat. At the Lantern Club, from 9.30am we will be conducting our own 100th Anniversary of Anzac Day memorial service, followed by a traditional Gunfire breakfast and activities.

ANZAC Day traditions at dawn services

Anzac marches
The Last Post – a bugle call to signify the end of a day’s activities in military parlance, it is now used at funerals and memorial services to symbolise the duty of the dead is now over and they can rest in peace.
A minute’s silence – observed after The Last Post to remember those who have died in combat.
Anzac badges – sold by the RSL to raise funds, and are bought and worn to show support.
Rosemary – found growing wild on the Gallipoli Peninsula, it is worn on lapels on Anzac Day as a sign of remembrance.
Red poppies – While more typically associated with Remembrance Day, red poppies are found in wreaths laid on Anzac Day, and placed on rolls of honour next to the names of those who have died by relatives.
Gunfire breakfast – a shot of rum in your tea or coffee, served with a hot breakfast.
Two-up – A ‘spinner’ throws two coins into the air and players bet on how they will land, i.e. pairs of heads or tails, or one of each. It is the only day of the year the game can be played legally outside of a licensed gambling venue.
Anzac biscuits – Originally made and sent to troops on the battlefields of Gallipoli because of their long shelf life and high nutritional value, they are now made and sold on Anzac Day to raise funds for various associated groups.